Opinion editor's note: Star Tribune Opinion publishes a mix of national and local commentaries online and in print each day. To contribute, click here . ••• In a recent ABC news interview reviewing the tenure of the Federal Trade Commission's Lina Khan, the chair seemed proud that her activism at the antitrust-enforcement and consumer-protection agency has earned an unusual range of fans, including far-left Sen.
Bernie Sanders of Vermont and far-right Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida. However, it's not surprising that she's brought these legislative cranks together.
They and Khan have lots in common: They're ineffective in getting legislation passed, don't work particularly well with others, and are usually sure they're right regardless of what the law says. More notable is how Khan's policies are becoming less popular among less incendiary members of the left, right and center. First, take a look from the left.
Recently, Khan ventured into an area where even left-leaning European Union regulators hadn't bothered to go: the luxury handbag industry. U.S.
Fashion brand Capri Holdings (which owns Versace, Jimmy Choo and Michael Kors) and Tapestry (which owns Kate Spade, Coach and Stuart Weitzman) are seeking to merge and compete more effectively with European luxury brands like LVMH, which is eight times larger than the merged company would be, according to the Wall Street Journal. Tapestry confirmed that the merger — designed to make these American-owned brands more marketabl.